Falling to Pieces
by I'mEdward'sCrazyLunaticGirl
Summary: What happens when Brennan and Booth meet again after a year? Will things be the same? Or will everything change?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is my first Bones fanfic. I hope you all like it, but I must warn you first that the grammar is going to be a little bad, and the plot may be a little rushed because I wrote this at two in the morning. Please don't be discouraged by the bad grammar to read and review, I don't care whether you have something good or terrible to say. This may turn into a two-shot if the readers like it, otherwise, it will remain a one-shot. Also, if you guys have a better suggestion for a title, please feel free to say anything.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bones or the song.

**Falling to Pieces**

_**I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing  
Just praying to a God that I don't believe in  
'Coz I got time while he got freedom  
'Coz when a heart breaks no it don't break even**_

_**His best days are some of my worst,  
He finally met a woman who's gonna put him first  
While I'm wide awake he has no trouble sleeping  
'Coz when a heart breaks no it don't break even, even  
**_

_**What am I supposed to do when the best part of me was always you, and  
What am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up and you're ok  
I'm falling to pieces yeah  
I'm falling to pieces **_

* * *

I've been sitting there by the coffee cart by myself for almost three hours, waiting for him to show up. It was a promise that we both made, and I know that he's not the kind of person to just break a promise.

I watched as people walked pass by me, and I watched the view in front of me as I waited. I looked at my watch again. Three and a half hours. I let out a soft sigh, and got up from the bench feeling disappointed. I was just about to walk away when I heard the nickname that he had given me the first time that we met.

"Bones!" I turned around to see where the voice was coming from, and as soon as I did, I saw him standing right before my eyes. My heart started to beat erratically as he smiled at me, and I couldn't help but smile back. Just by looking at him, I could see the difference that the training made in him: his shoulders were much broader, and his biceps were a lot bigger. I wanted to run to him. I wanted to wrap my arms around him as soon as possible, but I remained calm. Instead of running, I slowly walked toward him.

"Booth! Oh, I'm so glad you came home okay," I said as I gave the man that I would soon claim as mine a tight hug when I finally made it in front of him.

I realized that after a year apart from each other, there was nothing I missed more than him. I missed his smile, his smell, and his sense of humor. I also missed working on a case with him, and staying up late while comparing our notes. I always thought about him, even when I'm asleep. I worried about him; the thought of him being hurt never left my mind, and it made me anxious to see him again.

Most nights, I would dream about the two of us sharing our lives together, and it made me angry that I had to leave in order for me to realize what I wanted; which is to create a family with him, and now that we're both back, we can finally get what we both want. I love him, and it took me a year to realize it.

"Bones, it's great to see you," he said as he kissed the top of my head. I ignored the effect that it had on me, but just hugged him even tighter.

"It's great to see you too, but I have to tell you something," I said against his chest.

"Great! I have to tell you something too!" he said with excitement in his voice as I looked up to see his face.

"You go first," I said not knowing what he was going to tell me.

"'Kay. I'm getting married next month. I met someone while I was away, and she's really great. Her name is Hannah Burley, and she's a journalist. At first it was weird, but the more we got to know each other, the more I fell in love with her," he said, and what I heard destroyed my world. I'm too late. I could feel my eyes sting a little bit, but I willed myself not to cry. At least not in front of him.

"Wow...uh...that's great. I'm really happy for you," I lied.

"Thanks, I knew you'd be happy for me. Anyway, what was it that you were going to tell me? It sounded important," he asked.

"Nothing, it's not important anymore," I said as I took a few steps away from him. A part of me wanted to be near him, but I knew that it's just going to make things worse for me.

* * *

I walked inside the Jeffersonian with an empty box in my hand. I can't do it. I can't smile and pretend that nothing is wrong or that it's not hurting me because _everything_ is wrong and it _is_ hurting me.

It's been two weeks since he told me, and I've met Hannah once or twice. She was beautiful with long blond hair, probably the reason that he loves her even more. I could tell that they're perfect for each other, and for me to say that hurts like someone is stabbing my heart with a dagger-metaphorically, of course. It hurts so much that sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night because of the pain that I'm feeling.

I have to get away, which is exactly what I'm doing. I have to go somewhere to start over, and not screw everything up. Somewhere far away from him. I know I'm running, just like I always do, but I'm not letting anyone stop me.

* * *

"Dr. Soroyan, this is my letter of resignation," I said as I entered Cam's office with a white envelope in my hand. As soon as she heard what I said, she looked up at me in disbelief.

"Dr. Brennan, are you sure about this?" she asked.

"Yes, I was offered a job in Stanford, and I couldn't let it pass. I'm sorry that I decided to leave the Jeffersonian Institution, but I can provide you a list of forensic anthropologists that can do this job," I said. I watched as her emotion changed from disbelief to understanding.

"Well, I respect your decision. You will be missed by everyone," Cam said as she gave me a hug. I tried to blink away the tears that were threatening to fall, but a couple managed to roll their way down my cheeks.

"Thank you, Cam," I said before I left her office.

* * *

After getting home from the Jeffersonian, I packed my belongings leaving behind everything that reminds me of him.

There's no need for me to stay much longer; it will only make me more miserable than I already am. I've made my farewells to all my friends, except for Booth. There's no need for him to know about my plans. He has Hannah now, and I hope that they live a happy life together.

* * *

_**They say bad things happen for a reason  
But no wise words gonna stop the bleeding  
'Coz he's moved on while I'm still grieving  
And when a heart breaks  
no it don't break even, even no.**_

_**What am I gonna do when the best part of me was always you  
What am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up and you're ok  
I'm falling to pieces, yeah  
I'm falling to pieces, yeah  
I'm falling to pieces**_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait. School just started for me, and I'm already stressed out. Sorry if this one seems rushed, but I wanted this one to be done so I can start on another one. There's going to be a third chapter, and it's going to be the last one. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own BONES!**

**Booth's POV**

"Bones! Where the hell are you? This is the fifth time I've called you, and I'm getting worried here. I checked your office, and your things are gone. Did you quit? Call me, please," I said after I swiped my ID card to get up at the platform. No need to have the rest of the squints worry about some intruder.

As soon as I was up at the platform, I could see Cam, bent over some remains, that was partially decomposed, doing whatever it is that she always does. Clark and Hodgins are nowhere to be seen, and I don't even want to know what they're doing. Angela is probably in her office working on her art work. However, I didn't drive all the way to the Jeffersonian Institute to talk to them. I'm looking for Bones, who has not answered any of my calls, and whose office is empty.

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves before I approached Cam. She looked up at me once I was finally standing in front of her.

"What do you want, Seeley?" she asked. She used my first name in a very serious tone, which is never a good sign.

"Where's Bones? Where did all her things go?" I asked as I started pacing in front of her.

"Seeley..." she said as she took off her white gloves without looking at me, and left them beside the body.

"What happened, Cam? Is she hurt?" I asked as I put both my hands on her shoulders. I was tempted to shake the answers out of her, but I willed myself to calm down.

"No, she's not hurt. It's just that I don't think it's my place to tell you," she said as she tried to get my hands off of her shoulders.

"Tell me what?" I asked as I looked at her quizzically. She motioned for me to sit in one of the empty chairs on the platform, but I didn't listen. I remained standing as I waited for her to tell me whatever it is that she needed to tell me regarding Bones.

"Seeley, Dr. Brennan no longer works for us," she said, and I felt my eyes widen at what I had just heard. It felt like time had stopped, and all the memories I had with Bones played in my head: our first case together, our late night dinners, and our usually short appointments with Sweets. For Bones to leave just like that, it's like she doesn't even care.

"Wha-What? What do you mean?" I asked as I finally got a hold of myself.

Cam gave me an empathetic look. "I'm sorry, but she handed her letter of resignation yesterday."

"And you accepted it?" I asked in disbelief. She knows how much Bones means to me, and she let her go. How could she?

"Well...yes. She was offered a job, and she already accepted," she said.

"Why didn't she tell me? She and I were partners. We share everything," I said as I ran my right hand through my hair, and let out an irritated sigh.

"My best guess would be because she's running away," she said as she turned to get another pair of plastic gloves.

"From what?" I asked.

"From _you_," she said, and she snapped her gloves on. She proceeded to look at the decomposing remain on the steel table as if she was ignoring my very presence.

"Why would she run away from me?" I asked as I walked towards her.

She paused for a moment. She took a deep breath, and her shoulders became more tense."I told you Booth. I told you that you have to be certain about your feelings for her before actually telling her."

"I was certain. I asked her to give us a chance. I told her about how I felt about her, but it took her less than thirty seconds to reject me," I said as the memory of the night in front of the Hoover building came into my mind. I felt a tug in my heart at the thought, but I pushed it aside because it doesn't matter. I have Hannah, my fiance, now.

Cam looked up to me, and for an entire minute, we just stood there without saying a word, but when the silence became too loud to bear, I finally spoke up.

"I told Bones that if she can't love me, then I have to move on because I need someone who's going to love me for the next thirty, forty, or fifty years, and that's where Hannah comes in," I said as I closed my eyes.

"And you expected Dr. Brennan to be happy for you?" Cam asked in disbelief, and she shook her head in disappointment.

"Yeah. I mean, she said she wanted me to move on," I said, and she gave me this look. Almost as if she was angry.

She took a deep breath, and she stared at me for a minute before she started talking again.

"Booth, _you_, of all people, should know that Dr. Brennan is a very private person. Heck, everyone in this lab knows that. She doesn't always show her true feelings; sometimes she may appear happy, but she's actually angry on the inside," she paused as if she was trying to think about what she was going to say next.

"And that dig, up in the Maluku Islands, that was her way of thinking things through. She thought about giving the both of you a chance, and she was ready. She was ready to give in into love, something she doesn't really believe in, but you broke her heart by telling her that you're getting married to some blond journalist you met while in Afghanistan. Did it even occur to you that maybe she was scared?" she continued, and I looked at her in surprise.

Scared? What was Bones scared of?

"No. She-" she interrupted before I could even finish what I was about to say.

"Don't Seeley. These past two weeks had been a living hell for her, and the rest of the team. Everyone could see the pain that she was going through except you. She pretended for you, but you're too blinded to see it because you're too caught up with the idea of being in love with Hannah, when in reality, you're in love with Dr. Brennan," she said as she looked away from me, and toward the remain on the table.

Pain? Pretend? And I've moved on already. And I am in love with Hannah; I'm getting married to her next month, for Pete's sake.

What is Cam saying? Why would Bones pretend for me?

"What-" I was going to ask her about what she meant, but I was interrupted by a very angry Angela.

"You! What are _you _doing here?" she asked as she gave me a look that could only mean pure hatred.

"I'm looking for Bones," I said in a very calm manner to let the angry artist know that she wasn't getting under my skin.

"Well...you won't find her. Thanks to _you_," she said as she slowly walked toward me. Her eyes were filled with anger, and it sent shivers down my spine, but I stood still. I'm not going to let her know that she actually scares me.

"I-" Before I could even utter a second word, she silenced me by jabbing her long finger on my chest.

"Because of _you_, Brennan ran away with a broken heart. She loved you, and she probably still does even though you don't," she said. _What? _I looked at her, expecting an explanation, but I didn't get any.

"But-" She's not done.

"Ugh! I hate you so much. Because of _you_, she's probably burried under a deep pile of work at her new job. Because of _you_...she feels alone and abandoned,"she said, and knowing that she was just going to interrupt me, I kept quiet. She continued to jab her long fingers on my chest, and to be honest, it hurts because she was doing it so hard.

"Did you know that she cries herself to sleep most nights? That she calls for you in her sleep, that is if someone makes sure that she sleep? Do you know how many sleepless nights I had to endure just to make sure she's okay? Do you know how hard it is to hear your best friend's cry in the middle of the night? She hasn't been herself in the past two weeks...No, I guess you wouldn't know all those things because you don't care. Because you're _so_ in love with your _fiance_ Hannah,"she said, and I could see the tears in her eyes. For some reason, what she had said broke my heart? Bones didn't deserve all of that, and it hurts even more because the person who made her like that is me.

"Ang-" Again, I was cut off by her.

"Why are you here? Do you need us to help you solve another case? Do you need us, the _squints_, to do whatever it is that the FBI can't do? Is that all were good for?" she asked as her tears started to roll down her cheeks.

"You know that's not true," I said as I tried to reach for her, but her right hand met my left cheek before I could even get to her.

"I hate you. I don't ever want to see your face again," she said with venom in her voice. It made my heart, what was left of it, sink to hear her say that, but I understand why she said it.

"I think it's best if you leave for now," with Angela's act, I had forgotten that Cam was in the platform.

"Not until you tell me where my Bones is," I said as as I made it apparent that I wasn't going to leave until she tells me.

Cam took a deep breath as she finally gave up. "She's in California. She took a job in Stanford."

"Thanks," I said as soon as I got what I wanted. Without looking back, I walked away from the platform, and out of the Jeffersonian Institute.

-0-0-0-

I drove away from the Jeffersonian Institute with a lot of things going on in my mind, and there's really only one person who could help me. Dr. Lance Sweets. He may be an annoying guy sometimes, but he knows how to help someone in need, and right now, I really need his help.  
As soon as I reached the Hoover building, I parked my SUV in the underground garage, and practically ran toward the elevator. I pressed the button frantically until the doors opened, and I pressed the floor where Sweets' office was on. Once the elevator stopped on the floor that I wanted to be in, I got off, and walked toward the psychologist's office.

"Sweets! I need your help!" I said as I sat myself in front of the young psychologist after I barged into his office.

"Uh...Agent Booth, how may I help you?" he asked as he looked up from the file that he was looking through.

"Look, I know that you're a psychologist and all, but forget that. Right now, I need you to be my friend," I said as I looked at him, hopefully, with pleading eyes.

"Okay. So what is it that you need help with?" he asked as he put the folder in his hands away.

"Do you think I'm doing the right thing by marrying Hannah?" I asked.

"Er...why are you asking?" he asked.

"I was at the Jeffersonian earlier, and Cam told me something," I said.

"And that would be?"

"That I'm not really in love with Hannah." I said, and I looked at him. I could see that he was being hesitant, and I already knew what his answer would be.

"I know that you want me to disagree with Cam, but I'm sorry. I have to agree with her on this one," he said which made me a little angry.

"What?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"Tell me, what is it exactly about Hannah that caught your eyes?" he asked without answering my question. He picked up his yellow notepad, and started to scribble things down.

"What?"

"You asked for help, and that's exactly what I'm doing. I'm merely trying to help you, so please, answer my question."

"Okay. Well...for one thing, she's very beautiful. She has these blue eyes that are very hypnotizing. Every time I look in them, I get lost," I said as I pictured Hannah in my head.

"Go on."

"I love the fact that she's not afraid to speak her mind even though sometimes it offends people. She's very intelligent to a point that she sometimes makes me feel stupid. She's independent and brave. She's very stubborn too," I said as my mental image of Hannah morphed to an image of a smiling Temperance Brennan, and I felt myself smile a little.

"Hmmm..."was all Sweets said.

"What do you mean 'hmmm?'" I asked.

"Were you aware that you just described Dr. Brennan?" he asked as an answer to my question.

"What? Pft...I was describing Hannah," I said even though I knew that he was right.

"Yes, you were describing Hannah, but at the same time, you were also describing Dr. Brennan,"

"You're crazy," I said as I tried to deny everything he had just said.

"Agent Booth, that night, I told you to gamble, and you did. You asked Dr. Brennan to give a relationship between the two of you a chance, but she rejected you. You went to Afghanistan, and met Hannah. Since you told Dr. Brennan that you had to move on, you thought that it wouldn't matter, and since Hannah is just like Dr. Brennan, it made it better for you because if you can't have the real Dr. Brennan, at least you have the second best, which is Hannah," Sweets said.

He was looking at me seriously, and I knew that he wasn't the friend that I asked him to be when I got in his office. Instead, he's the annoying psychologist who wanted to observe how Bones and I react to each other. He isn't joking about what he just said.

"Damn," I said as I finally accepted the fact that both he and Cam were right.

"If you'd like-" he started, but I already knew what he was going to say.

"No. That's okay. I'll...I gotta go," I said as I got up from the couch. I walked out the the door as fast as I could to prevent Sweets from saying more.

One thing I realized today; I never really moved on. I thought I love Hannah, but my heart belongs to Bones. No matter how much I tell myself to move on, I'm just going to end up thinking about Bones. I love her; more than she knows. And because of my stupidity, I may never see her again. I can't let that happen though. I have to do something.

-0-0-0-

I drove to my apartment as fast as I could, not wanting to waste time. Cam and Sweets were right. I am still in love with Bones, and I have to make things right between the two of us. I don't care if she hates me now, but I'll wait for her. I'll keep trying to get her to trust me again.

I walked up to my apartment with a lot of things going on in my mind. I love Hannah, but not enough. I know that it's going to be hard for her, but I have to do it. It's the only way.

"Han?" I called for her as soon as I walked in my apartment.

"Hey babe. What are you doing home early?" she asked as she came out of my room wearing one of my dress shirt. She walked up to me, and I gave me a peck on the lips which turned into a full make out session, but then I remembered why I was home early.

"Mmm...Hannah, we need to talk," I said as I pulled away from her. I looked her straight in the eyes, and her blue eyes turned to a shade of grey as she figured out what I was about to say next. She didn't speak, she kept quiet as we both stare into each other's eyes.

"Is it because of _her_?" she asked emphasizing on the word 'her.' She knows.

"It's not like that? I love you-" I started to say, but she cut me off.

"Then why are you pulling out of our engagement?" she yelled with her eyes bugging out.

"I love you, but Bones and I...we have a connection. We complement each other," I said, and I could see that she got angrier with what I said.

"I don't get it. You said that she was a cold-heartless-bitch. I don't get why you're in love with her. You've got me now," she said, and what she just said about my Bones made me angry.

"I never said that she was cold, heartless, or a bitch!" I yelled at her.

"But you implied it!"

"Get dressed and get out! I want you out of here!"

"You can't throw me out!"

"Yes I can, and I am."

"I have nowhere else to go!"

"I don't care. And oh...I need the ring back," I said. I watched as her face turned red. She threw the ring at me, and ran to my room to get dress. I followed her to make sure that she was actually gathering her stuff, and also to pack an overnight bag.

She was still packing her stuff when I got what I needed.

"I want you gone by the time I get back, and if you ever touch any of my stuff, I can track you down easily," I said as I walked out of the room.

"Great, I lost my man to a whore," she said under her breath, which made me turn around.

"If I hear you say those things about Bones, I won't hesitate to do something," I said as I gave her a death glare.

I walked out of the room, and out of the apartment. There's no time to waste.

-0-0-0-

"Sir, please fasten your seat-belt. The plane is about to take off," the flight attendant said.

I took a deep breath and did as I was told. This is going to be a long flight.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hi everyone, so this is the last chapter. Sorry it took so long for me to update, but I didn't realize how much time I have to spend on school work. This is my first Bones fanfic so please read and review.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones.**

Changes are inevitable and nothing in life is fair. Both are facts that I've come to accept since I was fifteen years old. To think that everything stays the same is completely irrational.

Who was I to think that after a year of being away from each other that everything would stay the same? Or at least go back to the way things were? I shouldn't have been surprised. He said it himself. He said that he had to move on, and I encouraged him to do exactly just that. However, at the time, my feelings for him were unclear. I knew that there was something, I just didn't realize that it was love.

I was just scared, I guess. To experience love, a strong emotion that I have not felt since my parents disappeared, was overwhelming. It's something I've never felt in such a long time, and I didn't want to risk everything that we already had.

It was very selfish of me, wasn't it? To take away something that could have been great from him before it even started. Now I know that I should have taken the risk. I should have listened to what people kept telling me: that the bigger the risk is, the bigger the reward will be. Now I'll never know because I was too scared to take the risk, and now he found someone else who will love him for the rest of his life, something that I'm incapable of doing.

"Dr. Brennan, let me just say that, it is a pleasure to be working beside you. I've always looked up to you, and to be working with you is just amazing. However, I don't understand why an amazing anthropologist like you would leave the Jeffersonian Institute. I heard that they have a bigger lab equipped with the best equipments," the young intern said as he brought me back from my thoughts. His tendency to talk non-stop reminds me of Miss Wick, who I've grown to like in the year that we spent working together in the Maluku Islands.

"Yes, well, I wanted to start over," I said as I looked through a file that the director handed me once he had welcomed me into the lab.

"Why?"the intern asked, and I stopped what I was doing to look at him.

"That is for me to know and for you _not_ to find out," I simply said before walking away from him.

I headed toward my new office. I was disappointed to find out that the one I had back at the Jeffersonian was far better than what I have now. I can't really complain though. This was my decision, and I guess I'll just have to accept the fact that I'm not in D.C anymore.

Once I was inside my office, I sat behind my new desk, and opened up the file that I was looking over before the intern started to ask questions. Before I could even look at the page where I left off, there was a soft knock on my door followed by it's opening.

"Yes?" I asked as one of the securities appeared between he crack that the door was creating.

"Someone's looking for you, Dr. Brennan," he said.

"Who is it?"

"He wouldn't say,"

"Oh...send them in please," I said before looking back down to the file in front of me.

"Of course," the security said before he left.

Not a minute later, there was another knock on my door.

"Come in," I said without looking up. I heard the door open as my unexpected guest walked in.

"Bones,"an all too familiar voice said, and my heart started to pound loudly against my ear. I slowly lifted my eyes from the file in hand, and I looked at the man standing before me.

After a moment of silence, I motioned for him to take a seat in one of the chairs in front of my desk. I watched his face as he sat down, and I could see the exhaustion in his eyes.

"What-" I cleared my throat as it cracked, "What are you doing here, Booth?" I asked as I finally managed to look away from him.

"I could ask you the same thing, Bones," he said as he continued to stare at me.

"If you must know, I was offered a job, and I accepted," I said.

"I already know that. I just want you to talk to me. Tell me why you left?" he said, and I looked at him.

"What do you want me to say?" I asked. This was not part of my plan. My plan was to just run away and start over. Why does he have to follow me here?

"I told you. I want you to tell me everything. I want to know why you left," he said as he got up from where he was seated. I watched as he ran both of his hands through his short hair, and I watched him as he took a deep breath before looking back at me.

"I want to know if you love me," he said, and I felt the already uneven pieces of my heart break into more uneven pieces, metaphorically speaking of course; I would be dead if my heart was actually torn into pieces.

"Booth..." I said with a pause as I took a deep shaky breath. I blinked my eyes continuously to prevent the tears from rolling down my cheeks.

"Bones..." he said as he started to make his way towards me.

"No...please don't get close to me...I don't think I can handle it at the moment," I said. I took a deep breath before talking again.

"While I was doing the dig in the Maluku Islands, I realized something. I found that I was missing you more than I missed anyone back in D.C; I missed everything about you. Everyday, I thought about you. I dreaded the day that I would get a message concerning you. I was scared for you. I was scared that you would get hurt. When I couldn't stop thinking about you, I came to a conclusion that I was, in fact, in love with you. I was going to tell you when we met at the reflecting pool, but I made you tell your news first. You told me that you were getting married, and unbeknownst to you, you broke my heart," I said as I turned around to hide my face from him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

"You're getting married next month, Booth. Obviously you love Hannah more than you loved me. You've moved on, and I couldn't ruin that for you. I just want you to be happy, and if marrying Hannah is what makes you happy, then so be it, but you can't expect me to stay and watch you be happy because as stupid as it sounds, my heart is already broken into little pieces; I don't think it can handle any more pain," I said as I tried to wipe away the tears that were flowing continuously, but it was useless.

"C'mere, Bones," he said with his arms wide open. I want to run to him, and just be in his arms forever. I want to wrap my arms around him, to bury my face against his chest, and to just intoxicate myself with his scent. However, I refrained myself from doing anything. As much as I want to, it wouldn't be fair to me because in the end, he's going to go back to Hannah, and it will cause me more pain than I am feeling now.

"No," I said.

"Why do you think I'm here?" he asked.

"No, Booth. Why do _you _think I'm here? I'm here on the other side of the continent because running away is what I do best. I couldn't take it anymore. I can't keep on pretending for you," I said.

"Just listen to me, okay, because I'm about to tell you something important," he said as he walked up to me, completely ignoring the protests that I was making.

"Last time you told me that you were going to tell me something important, I ended up with a broken heart," I pointed out.

"That's not the case here, Bones. What I'm about to tell you could put your heart back together. At least I hope it would," he said as he lifted my chin up with his right hand.

"What do you mean?"

"Cam and Sweets made me realize something,"

"Wh-" I started, but he stopped me by putting his right index finger on my lips.

"No, let me talk first, then you can talk," he paused as he thought about what he was going to say next.

"As I was saying, Cam and Sweets made me realize something. They told me something that I haven't been able to to admit since that night in front of the Hoover Building. I haven't moved on, Temperance. God knows I tried, and that's why I started a relationship with Hannah. Sweets, however, had another idea, and to be honest, I agree with him. You're it for me, Temperance. Hannah...she's just...she reminds me so much of you that I didn't realize that I didn't really love her. I love you, not her," he said, and the tears that had stopped while Booth was talking started making their way down my cheeks again.

"Booth...I..." I started to say, but nothing would come out. I have it all in my head, but it seems like my brain wasn't getting the message.

"Temperance...Bones...I know that I hurt you bad when I told you about my engagement, but Hannah and I are over now. I know that jumping into a relationship really not on the top of your to do list, especially after what I did to you, but I'll wait for as long as it takes you," he said softly, and for some odd reason, I felt a warm feeling inside me.

"I...as much as I want to be in a romantic relationship with you...I can't. We live on different sides of the country," I said.

"Then come back with me," he suggested as he gave me a hopeful smile, and I couldn't help, but smile at him as well.

"I can't. I just accepted a job, and I love it here," I lied hoping that he wouldn't see through it.

"Fine then. I'll just request for a transfer. I'll do anything even if it means that I have to leave D.C," he said as he brushed his thumb against my lower lip, and as he did so, I felt like electricity was running down my spine, which caused me to hold my breath for a moment.

"I can't let you do that. You're a father, and I won't let you leave Parker the way my parents left me and Russ," I said as I gave him a frown.

"I know that you hate it here, Bones. Don't think that I believed what you said. I'm an FBI agent, I can tell when a person is lying to me. I know you, the only place that you love is the Jeffersonian," he took a deep breath before continuing. "Bones everyone's a mess back home. Angela hates my guts for driving you away. I'm pretty sure Cam does too for losing the best forensic anthropologist. Heck, my own son will probably hate me too once he finds out that his favorite doctor left because of me," he said.

"I'm sure that that's not true," I said.

"Bones, you and I...we're the center..." he said softly, and I felt his breath against my skin as he spoke. And I felt the beat of my heart quicken as he leaned closer to me.

"...and the center must hold," I finished for him, and I saw the corner of his mouth twitch.

"We need you back home. Without you, everyone's not working right because you and I...we make sure that everyone is in line,"

"I don't even know if my old position is still available,"

"Trust me Bones, Cam hasn't hired someone yet, and I doubt that she'll find someone as good as you," he said as he gave me his famous charm smile, which he knows that I could never resist.

"You know, it's really not fair. You can't always use your charming smile to get what you want from me," I said.

"So, what do you say. Are you going willingly or am I going to have to drag your ass back to D.C" he asked, and I could hear the tone of excitement on his voice.

"Fine-"I started, but was interrupted by a soft-tender lips against my own.

Our lips moved in sync. I could taste the bitter taste of coffee that he probably got from a cafe from the airport. I raised my hands up to his face, and I could feel the stubles on his face tickle the sensitive skin on my palm. My heart rate was going beyond it's normal rate, and I could feel the heat rising up from my neck. I felt his tongue brush against my lower lip as he asked for permission for an entrance, and I gladly granted him with what he wanted. What started out to be an innocent kiss became much more intimate, but for the sake of oxygen, we hesitantly pulled away from each other.

I opened my eyes to look at him, and was really surprised to be greeted with a huge grin plastered on his face.

"That was...hot," he said.

"Yes...I must admit that that was quite stimulating," I said with a small smile.

"Come on. Let's go home," he said as he held his hand out for me, and I gladly took it.

I guess that there is such a thing as a happy ending. It may not come as fast as we want it to, but we just have to be patient for it to happen. Yes, there are going to be some obstacles along the way, but what comes out of it in the end is definitely worth the wait.

"I love you," I whispered in his ears as I kissed him on his cheek, and I saw the twinkle in his eyes as soon as he heard them.

_Yeah, definitely worth the wait._


End file.
